clearely determined, that hee might then bee the more perfect in his answere making.—And all this was nought els, but to blinde the multitude with somewhat.

The next day following, according to his promise, the archbishop sent unto him into the Tower, this foolish and blaspheamous writing, made by him and by his unlearned clergy.

3

The determination of the Archbishop, and Clergie.

"The faith and determination of the holy church touching the blisful sacrament of the aultar, is this: that after the sacramentall words be once spoken by a priest in his masse, the materiall bread, that was before bread, is turned into Christes very body. And the materiall wine, that was before wine, is turned into Christes very bloud. And so there remaineth in the sacrament of the aultar, from thenceforth, no materiall bread, nor materiall wine, which were there before the sacramentall words were spoken:-How beleeve ye this article?

"Holy church hath determined that every Christian man living here bodily upon the earth, ought to be shriven to a priest ordained by the church, if he may come to him :-How feele ye this article?

"Christ ordained S. Peter the apostle to be his vicar here in earth, whose see is the holy church of Rome: and he granted, that the same power which he gave unto Peter, should succeed to all Peters successors, which wee call now popes of Rome; by whose power in churches particular, he ordained prelates, as archbishops, bishops, parsons, curates, and other degrees more; unto whom Christian men ought to obey after the lawes of the church of Rome. This is the determination of holy church.How feele ye this article?

5

"Holy church hath determined, that it is meritorious to a Christian man to goe on pilgrimage to holy places: and there specially to worship holy reliques and images of saints, apostles, martyrs, confessors, and all other saints besides, approved by the church of Rome.-How feele ye this article?"

3 The determination.] See Wilkins, vol. iii. p. 355. Is this.] Compare above, note on p. 211.

Ought to obey.] The reader will notice in this article a formed and desperate design of the archbishop and clergy to bow the necks of the nobles and laity, and the whole realm of England, under the same yoke of shameful and slavish subjection to the see of Rome, with themselves.

And as the lord Cobham had read over this most wretched writing, he marvelled greatly of their madde ignorance: but that he considered againe, that God had given them over for their unbeliefes sake, into most deep errours and blindnesse of soule. Againe, he perceived hereby, that their uttermost malice was purposed against him, howsoever he should answere. And therefore hee put his life into the hands of God, desiring his onely spirit to assist him in his next answer.

When the said 25. day of September was come (which was also the Munday before Michaelmas) in the said yeare of our Lord 1413, Thomas Arundell the archbishop of Canturbury commanded his judiciall seate to be removed from the chapter house of Paules to the Dominicke friers within Ludgate at London. And as hee was there set with Richard bishop of London, Henry bishop of Winchester, and Bennet bishop of Bangor, he called in unto him his counsell and his officers, with divers other doctors and friers, of whom these are the names here following; maister Henry Ware, the officiall of Canterburie; Philip Morgan, doctor of both lawes; Howell Kiffin, doctor of the canon lawe; John Kempe, doctor of the canon lawe; William Carletan, doctor of the canon lawe; John Witnam, of the Newe colledge in Oxforde; John Whithead, doctor in Oxford also; Robert Wombewell, Vicar of S. Laurence in the Jewry; Thomas Palmer, the warden of Minors; Robert Chamberlaine, prior of the Dominickes; Richard Doddington, prior of the Augustines; Thomas Walden, prior of the Carmelites, all doctors of Divinitie: John Stevens also, and James Cole, both notaries, appointed there purposely to write all that should be either said or done. All these, with a great sort more of priestes, monkes, canons, friers, parish clarkes, belringers, pardoners, disdained him, with innumerable mockes and scornes, reckoning him to bee an horrible hereticke, and a man accursed afore God.

Anone the archbishop called for a masse booke, and caused all those prelates and doctors to sweare thereupon, that everie man should faithfully doe his office and duetie that day: and that neither for favour nor fear, love nor hate of the one partie nor the other, any thing should there be witnessed, spoken or done, but according to the trueth, as they would answer before God and all the world at the day of dome. Then were the two foresaid

Of the Carmelites.] Thomas Walden. See note 1,

P. 169.

notaries sworne also, to write and to witnes the proces that there should be uttered on both parties, and to saie their mindes (if they otherwise knew) before they should register it.-And all this dissimulation, was but to colour their mischiefes, before the ignorant multitude.

After that, came forth before them, sir Robert Morley, knight and liefetenant of the Tower, and he brought with him the good L. Cobham, there leaving him among them as a lamb among wolves, to his examination and answere.

Another examination of the Lord Cobham.

Then said the archbishop unto him: "Lord Cobham, ye be advised (I am sure) of the words and process which wee had unto you upon Saterdaie last past in the chapterhouse of Paules: which proces were now too long to be rehearsed againe. I said unto you then, that you were accursed for your contumacie and disobedience to holy church, thinking that yee should with meekenesse have desired your absolution."

Then spake the L. Cobham with a chearful countenance, and said, "God said by his holie prophet, Maledicam benedictionibus vestris, which is as much to say as, I shall curse where you blesse."

The archbishop made then as though he had continued forth his tale and not heard him, saying: "Sir, at that time I gently profered to have assoiled you if you woulde have asked it. And yet I doe the same, if ye will humbly desire it in due forme and maner, as holy church hath ordained."

Then said the lord Cobham: "Nay forsooth will I not, for I never yet trespassed against you, and therefore I will not doe it." And with that he kneeled downe on the pavement holding up his hands towards heaven, and said: "I shrive me here unto thee my eternal living God, that in my fraile youth I offended thee (0 Lord) most greevously in pride, wrath, and gluttony; in covetousness, and in letcherie. Many men have I hurt in mine anger, and done many other horrible sins, good Lord I aske thee mercie." And therewith weepingly hee stoode up againe and said with a mighty voice, "Loe, good people, loe: For the breaking of Gods lawe and his greate commandements, they never yet cursed me. But for their owne lawes and traditions, most cruelly doe they handle both me and other men. And therefore,

both they and their lawes, by the promise of God, shall utterly be destroied."

At this the archbishop and his company were not a little blemished. Notwithstanding, hee tooke stomacke unto him againe after certaine words had in excuse of their tyrannie, and examined the lord Cobham of his Christian beliefe.

Whereunto the L. Cobham made this godly answere, “I beleeve (saith he) fully and faithfully in the universall lawes of God. I beleeve that all is true which is contained in the holy sacred Scriptures of the bible. Finally I beleeve, all that my Lord God would I should believe."

Then demanded the archbishop an answere of that bill which he and the clergy had sent him into the Tower the day afore, in maner of a determination of the church concerning the foure articles whereof hee was accused; specially for the sacrament of the aultar, how hee beleeved therein.

Whereunto the L. Cobham said, "that with that bill he had nothing to doe. But this was his beliefe (he said) concerning the sacrament: That his lord and saviour Jesus Christ, sitting at his last supper with his most deare disciples, the night before hee should suffer, tooke bread in his hand, and giving thanks to his eternall father, blessed it, brake it, and so gave it unto them: saying, Take it unto you, and eate thereof all; this is my body which shall be betraied for you: Doe this hereafter in my remembrance. This doe I throughly beleeve (saith he); for this faith am I taught in the gospell of Matthew, in Mark, and in Luke, and also in the first epistle of S. Paule to the Corinthians, chapter the eleventh."

Then asked the archbishop, if he beleeved that it were bread after the consecration or sacramentall words spoken over it.

The lord Cobham said: "I beleeve that in the sacrament of the altar is Christs very bodie in forme of bread, the same that was borne of the virgin Marie, done on the crosse, dead, and buried, and that the third day arose from death to life, which now is glorified in heaven."

Then said one of the doctors of the law: "After the sacramental words be uttered, there remaineth no bread, but onely the bodie of Christ."

The lord Cobham said then to one master John Whitehead: "You said once unto me in the castle of Cowling, that the sacred host was not Christ's bodie. But I held then against you, and

proved that therein was his bodie, though the seculars and friers could not therein agree, but held each one against other in that opinion. These were my words then, if yee remember it."

Then shouted a sort of them together, and cried with great noise: "We say all, that it is God's bodie."

And divers of them asked him in great anger, whether it were materiall bread after the consecration or not?

Then looked the lord Cobham earnestly upon the archbishop, and said: "I beleeve surely that it is Christs bodie in forme of bread. Sir beleeve not you thus?"

And the archbishop said, "Yes mary doe I."

Then asked him the doctors, whether it were onely Christs bodie after the consecration of a priest, and no bread, or not?

And he said unto them, "it is both Christs bodie and bread. I shall prove it as thus: For like as Christ dwelling here upon the earth, had in him both Godhead and manhood, and had the invisible Godhead covered under that manhood, which was onely visible and seene in him; so in the sacrament of the altar, is Christs very bodie, and bread also, as I beleeve. The bread is the thing that we see with our eies: the bodie of Christ (which is his flesh and his blood) is there under hid, and not seene, but in faith.

"And moreover, to prove that it is both Christ's bodie, and also bread, after the consecration, it is by plaine words expressed by one of your owne doctors writing against Eutyches, which saith; Like as the selfe same sacraments doe passe by the operation of the holy ghost, into a divine nature, and yet notwithstanding keepe the propertie still of their former nature; so, that principall mysterie declareth to remaine one true, and perfect Christ, &c." (Gelasius contr. Eutych.)

Then smiled they each one upon other, that the people should judge him taken in a great heresie. And with a great brag divers of them said; "It is a foule heresie."

Then asked the archbishop, what bread it was? And the doctors also enquired of him whether it was materiall or not?

The lord Cobham said unto them, "The scriptures make no mention of this word materiall, and therefore my faith hath nothing to doe therewith. But this I say and beleeve, that it is Christs body and bread. For Christ said in the vi. of Johns gospell, Ego sum panis vivus, qui de cœlo descendi; I which came downe from heaven, am the living and not the dead bread. There